FNBO (First National Bank of Omaha) has awarded a total of $1,738,000 in Impact Grants to 90 organizations in Nebraska, Iowa, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, South Dakota, Wyoming and Texas.
The grants support programs dedicated to workforce development and entrepreneurship; affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization; and adult education, financial literacy and security.
“FNBO recognizes that investments in workforce development, education, affordable housing and financial literacy have returns that far outlast a one-time donation,” said Whitney Baker, director philanthropy and giving. “Through this grant program, our goal is to find community partners working in these areas that not only impact individual lives, but build stronger and more financially successful communities.”
FNBO has transitioned from two grant cycles per year to one combined cycle. This total represents the largest one-year grant amount ever awarded by FNBO.
FNBO awarded $1,143,000 in Impact Grants to 53 organizations across Nebraska and western Iowa. Among them:
- $10,000 – Care Corps, Inc. (Fremont): Supports the workforce development and life skill training program, which provides practical skills needed to gain employment and focuses on the soft skills needed to stay employed.
- $25,000 – Greater Fremont Development Foundation (Fremont): Supports a revolving loan fund to increase housing inventory and the quality of housing inventory in Fremont city limits.
- $20,000 – Grow Nebraska (Omaha): Supports programming that focuses on allowing underserved entrepreneurs, specifically women and minorities, the opportunity to gain business knowledge and tools, as well as a network of peers to support their journey in creating a successful and long-standing small business.
- $25,000 – Habitat for Humanity of Columbus (Columbus): Supports the construction of safe, decent and affordable housing to applicants who may not have the ability to become a homeowner otherwise.
- $20,000 – Kids Can Community Center (Omaha): Supports Bridging the Cliff, a program that assists parents whose income is not sufficient to support a family, but who do not make so little they qualify for government child-care subsidies.
- $20,000 – Legal Aid of Nebraska (Omaha): Supports the Legal Aid of Nebraska’s Housing Justice Project, which aims to prevent housing loss, enforce the right to safe and habitable housing and preserve the right to obtain and maintain housing, all through free civil legal assistance to Nebraskans with low income.
- $30,000 – Metropolitan Community College Foundation (Omaha): Supports adult basic education (ABE) activities (enhanced coaching, tutoring, GED and ESL courses) and Transitional Learning Community (TLC) onboarding to support students with career and educational goals, including Integrated Education and Training, to accelerate career placement.
- $40,000 – Nebraska Enterprise Fund (Omaha): Supports training, coaching and mentoring programs to reach underserved micro and small businesses primarily in North and South Omaha and southwestern Iowa with technical assistance, encouraging start-up, early stage and growth of locally owned businesses.
- $20,000 – Nebraska Housing Developers Association (Omaha): Supports efforts to increase housing stability for Nebraska households at or below 80% area median income (AMI) for their community, by providing down payment assistance to first-time homebuyers, weatherization assistance to low-income homeowners and by providing education to homebuyers and renters.
- $35,000 – No More Empty Pots (Omaha): Supports the No More Empty Pots Culinary Certificate Program to provide culinary and life skills training that support student development in workforce readiness, capabilities to overcome traditional barriers to employment and self-sufficiency.
- $40,000 – RISE Academy (Omaha): Supports the RISE Reentry Employment Program to provide justice system-impacted Nebraskans with quality skills training, case management, career planning and job placement that result in livable and thriving wage employment pathways.
- $10,000 – Volunteers Assisting Seniors (Omaha): Supports the Nebraska Homestead Exemption Program, a property tax relief program for low-income homeowners over the age of 65, veterans and disabled individuals.
- $20,000 – YMCA of Greater Omaha (Omaha): Supports YMCA’s Early Learning Centers, which provide high-quality, affordable child-care options for working parents of children up to age 6, while preparing children for success in kindergarten and beyond.
